Comments on: There’s light at end of tunnel for the 2009 Wallabies

By: Pete

Pete — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 03:12:35 +0000

Just came across this clip on the web “Wallaby Highlight 2009″ Admittedly it was a long season so you could always put a decent highlights package together and you could equally put a low lights package for 2009!

There were certainly some great moves and areas where we greatly improved. I can’t wait for the Rugby to start again!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckWM8d1VD9g

By: Campbell Watts

Campbell Watts — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 02:32:29 +0000

At Go_the_Wannabe’s odds (50/50) I would be!!!!

By: Campbell Watts

Campbell Watts — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 02:26:51 +0000

“Yet the Wallabies remain among the favourites to host the 2011 Rugby World Cup. Go figure.”

Wow – I thought New Zealand had already been alocated the right to host the cup!!!

By: Tragic

Tragic — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 05:42:19 +0000

True, and we are yet to see the carters and mccaws stand up. But I think Pocock is promising and plays a very McCaw type of game, and frankly there probably won’t be a carter but I think Giteau will rise again.
You can’t put the star on the christmas tree with a shaky ladder. Carter was so successful because he had a steady platform on which to work, with great team mates and a great educator in deans. Once the platform is there I think that Giteau and Barnes will share the driver’s seat adequately, to put the icing on the cake. Ok too many metaphors Im going to work.

By: Sam Taulelei

Sam Taulelei — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 02:30:28 +0000

The only problem I have with any articles about the future of Australian rugby is exactly that. It’s the future. It hasn’t been achieved, written or reached.

How about focusing on the present and learning from the past?

Funny how “professionalism” has altered the definition and measurement of success. Take the world cup out of the picture and should the Wallabies results this year be more tolerable or less tolerable if there was no four yearly cycle to develop a side? Are the Wallabies more successful or less successful than they were in the amateur days?

The world cup for all it’s good qualities has really stuffed up perceptions and perspectives about teams, coaches and players performances. Winning a world cup is now the end to the means and everything else is subservient, irrelevant and negligible. Haven’t you seen the folly of that thinking from your cousins across the ditch?

It appears there is no longer a line separating development from failure. Lord give me strength.

By: Sport 24-7

Sport 24-7 — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 01:21:45 +0000

An optimistic view no doubt. There are a lot of promising young blokes coming through. BUT – Remember the English pack of 2003 ? There were a few blokes over 30 in that squad and they all have World Cup medals. I wouldn’t go writing off the Boks just yet.

By: zhenry

zhenry — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 00:48:04 +0000

Absolute optimist vision plus PR that’s what Australians read, tends mostly to the positive of centre. On the other hand New Zealand read absolute negative vision, still with the PR and mostly negative of centre. Australia owns both media.

By: PastHisBest

PastHisBest — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 00:03:02 +0000

“I’m not too concerned any more that Australia is not trying to engineer some ‘intelligent’ way of leveraging itself over the best teams in the world.”

Far from being ‘not too concerned’ Tragic, personally I’m rapt about this.

By: PastHisBest

PastHisBest — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 23:59:51 +0000

Putting some hard-earned on it MG???

By: Darwin hammer

Darwin hammer — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 22:49:27 +0000

he also had Carter and McCaw … helps a bit when you’ve got talent like that to fall back on …

By: crashy

crashy — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 10:03:47 +0000

Maddog – I tend to agree in that our media are ( how shall I say), prone to hyperbole!
Whilst yes we are in a slump and the last few years have not been great, I can see light at the end of the tunnell.
Rugby 7s is now in the Olympics and that we will have a 5th Super 14 team. This alone will lead to more funding and top level rugby for our 200 or so professional players.
Just think, it was only a couple of weeks ago that the press were calling the death of Test Cricket! not in my lifetime sonny jim!

By: Tragic

Tragic — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 07:09:22 +0000

I think that the missing ingredient is genuine, hard-earned confidence. Deans has been putting the Wallabies (and fans)
through a cathartic process of re-blooding and re-building, to play what is essentially a crusaders/new zealander’s game. I think that what characterised the attitude of the crusaders was their ability to maintain composure and resolve to win in tight situations on the back of a justified confidence in their own ability. They had tireless forwards that could all handle the ball and a backline that was skillfull (not primarily sizey). Confidence gives you the ability to seize opportunities as they arise – the Crusaders had this – and it was something that the wallabies didn’t have in their loss to scotland. No sword. Next season will be interesting.
I’m not too concerned any more that Australia is not trying to engineer some ‘intelligent’ way of leveraging itself over the best teams in the world. If you have a game style based on aggressive forwards that provide good platforms and can run with and pass the ball, and a skillful and fast backline that can kick it when they ought to kick it, and run it when they ought to run it, coupled with with tireless defence and support play, then that’s all you can ask for. Oh, and someone who can kick a goal from anywhere on the park… I think these basic fundamentals are what won the crusaders so many games, with the knowledge they could do it, and i think this is what Deans is trying to bring to the team. If I’m correct then I would assess the Wallabies’ development fairly favourably. I always knew this is what the development strategy of Deans was, but I have always doubted the time frame. I hope they can become the team in time!

By: Justin

Justin — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 06:50:35 +0000

Yeah fair enough…

By: Jerry

Jerry — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 06:48:00 +0000

Oh, I’m impressed with Genia don’t get me wrong. I was just pointing out that citing the English press opinion isn’t actually really something that’s gonna win you arguments.

By: Justin

Justin — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 06:38:10 +0000

To be fair Jerry he has played well in just about every game he has played for AUS. The great thing is he does the basics very well unlike Deans former love-child Burgess.

By: Jerry

Jerry — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 06:29:01 +0000

I wouldn’t pay much attention to the English press, they put an inordinate amount of emphasis on how players go against England. Genia played one good game against England and they were elevating him to ‘new great’ status.

By: stash

stash — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 06:25:46 +0000

Success should not be judged on results alone…ha ha, that’s pure stand up.

I hope you said that and not Deans….

Sheesh, if Henry said that there would be a necktie party in his honor.

Australia has enough of a winning history that fans should be expecting them to win – just like the ABs and Boks are expected to win by their supporters.

Personally I think they should all be hauled off to SAS training camp rather than prancing around for summer. Deans included… his reputation is fast becoming tattered.

By: Maddog

Maddog — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 06:03:00 +0000

Thanks for a great article Darren! For too long the media at large have been all too happy to point the finger of doom when as you so rightly point out ‘Unless the Wallabies are winning week in, week out, they are seen as flops.’

I can’t imagine this attitude prevailing in any other country in the world! Even in New Zealand, while being critical of play especially afetr a loss, the nation still has unreserved support and pride for the team and what they represent. Are there other factors at play with reporting here? Is the mungo element that controls papers and TV news to blame?

Given the abundance of international fixtures on the Australian Rugby calendar, it is all too easy for the media to paint a picture of gloom following a loss. But let’s put it in perspective…every test match is like playing an AFL or NRL grand final in terms of intensity! We should expect to lose our fair share of them, especially in the Tri-nations as we are constanstly playing the number one and two ranked teams in the world! If the Wallabies were and AFL or NRL team they would be sitting middle of the table and probably make the finals. Sure there would be nay-sayers suggesting ways to improve and there would be supporters saying look how we are rebuilding, BUT no one would be saying our game is dying! Why, because other teams will rise to take their spot…this is the natural eb and flow of the sporting world.

Just because the Wallabies are not on top every year doesn’t mean death for our game! Darren has written a great article here and more positive thought in the media and from us as supporters will go a long way to ensuring continued health of Australian rugby…no matter what the week in and week out results.

By: Howi

Howi — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 03:30:46 +0000

I agree with Darren’s sentiments, though I readily acknowledge that I’m tragically optimistic at times. Many of the right pieces are in place for the Wallabies. There is some sort of ingredient missing but I don’t know what it is, and anyway if it’s at all obvious then I think they would have found it by now. Probably even Deans doesn’t know what it is despite all of his zen-like musings. But he’ll know it when he finds it. I tend to think that 2009 has hurt many individuals in the Wallabies squad and that this can fuel some serious learning and galvanisation in 2010 and 2011. I don’t mind being painted an optimist but I tend to believe that the current squad with Deans and Elsom at the helm can go on to become one of Australian rugby’s better success stories.

By: rugbyfuture

rugbyfuture — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 02:52:48 +0000

i agree with your sentiment that we cant allow puff pieces, but genia and pockock aswell as our front rowers really are extremely talented, even the english agreed they were the silver lining of the tour

By: Cattledog

Cattledog — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 01:51:52 +0000

In a nutshell, the ABs are the best team in the world between world cups, no doubt. However, their track record in that major event is not great. With the added pressure of being at home…they’ll choke, you can just about bet on it.

Truth is, any one of about 6 teams can win it, if the moons align. Problem is, you can’t have a poor game and hope to recover. You’re done and dusted! There’s still much water to flow beneath the bridge and with two seasons to go, only a fool would be making predictions on who will win and why.

By: Even looser

Even looser — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:51:37 +0000

Being positive is all well and fine but being realistic is more important. In reality we are not in good shape at the moment and at the current rate of improvement I expect us to be on the end of some serious losses in ’10. Whether Robbie and the boys can pull it off in time for the RWC remains to be seen but I wish him well.

My wish for 2010 is:-
1. A string of good wins over tough opposition.
2. A good solid win in New Zealand; and
3. Quaility depth for all positions.

By: Mike G

Mike G — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:47:37 +0000

I’m backing history to repeat itself (poor results 2 years out), & for the Wallabies to win the 2011 World Cup . There, that was easy, wasn’t it???

By: Go_the_Wannabe's

Go_the_Wannabe's — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:36:39 +0000

I’ll reserve my judgement of Deans until after the world cup. It’s 50/50 at the moment and could easily go either way. He will either be a saint or a martyr.

By: Hansie

Hansie — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:14:17 +0000

“Success should not be judged on results alone.” Why bother with the score board? The reality is that Australia has big problems, and would be better off facing up to those problems, rather than dreaming that it will be “all right on the night”.

By: fred

fred — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:09:02 +0000

DEANS handles his losses well,not a grey hair to be seen.

By: Justin

Justin — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 23:37:55 +0000

In a nutshell the positions that are not up to it and need to be fixed are second row, the 10-12 channel and 15. I think we will have the rest covered by 2011. But they are pretty dam important spots to fix.

By: JamesB

JamesB — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 23:15:37 +0000

Dream on! Mentally they are stuffed against the AB’s. Many of the new players haven’t ever beaten the AB’s. It’s bad enough they have lost 7 in a row, but they can’t win in Auckland. And the Wallabies are drawn to face the French in the RWC2011 semi-final stage. 1987 again?

By: Darwin hammer

Darwin hammer — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 22:51:31 +0000

The last thing Australian rugby needs is a puff piece like this – everything that’s bad about australian reporting is in this – the over hyping of players, the classifying who is and will be worldclass in the next 2 seasons … “Classy 21-year-olds Will Genia and David Pocock may well be the world’s premier players in their respective – and key – positions with another 20-odd Tests under their belts by 2011, while 25-year-old loosehead prop Benn Robinson already is” – hogwash ..

“To Australia’s rivals, though, coach Robbie Deans is the envy of the international rugby world.” … really ? – I think every one of the major nations of the rugby (England excepted) are pretty pleased with who they’ve got and haven’t shelled out millions on a clearly floundering coach …

Australia were abject for the major part of the international season – a good result against a poor Welsh outfit doesn’t fix things over night … the “deposit’s in the bank” call is merely yet another excuse for a poor effort

By: Parisien

Parisien — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 22:39:30 +0000

“Deans’s priority next season must be plotting Australia’s first win in New Zealand since 2001.”

I agree!